Seneca Street Elementary students in Oneida learn fire safety

ONEIDA -- With this week being National Fire Prevention Week, many Madison County fire departments are heading to elementary schools in their municipalities.

On Tuesday, Oneida firefighters Travis Krol and David Hoffman visited kindergarten through third-grade students at Seneca Street Elementary to review fire safety basics.

They were even given "homework" by the firefighters. As an activity they could do at home, the children were encouraged to work with their family to map out an escape route.

"You can even mail a copy to the Oneida Fire Department," said Hoffman, who also told the children they could come visit the North Main Street fire department any time they wished.

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Hoffman and Krol told Donna Thompson and Todd Hicks' second grade classrooms that if they wake up during the night and smell and see smoke, to get low on the ground and crawl on the floor in order to move around because smoke rises to the higher points in a room.

"Stay low. That's where the good air is," Hoffman told the children.

The firefighters also advised students to change batteries in smoke detectors twice a year; the devices should be located inside every bedroom as well as outside and on every floor of the house.

Children were encouraged to practice with fire ladders if they have them since the ladders are on a chain and difficult to climb.

The hardest part about fire is that every 30 seconds, it doubles in size.

Reviewing the stop, drop and roll technique used to most effectively put on a fire on one's own body, the children were also counseled in what to do if they see an individual on fire who is not stopping, dropping or rolling, but running around. The students were told to not touch the person because they might also catch fire; however, they should continually encourage the individual to stop, drop, and roll.

Hoffman explained that because children are often afraid and nervous during a house fire, he and Krol want them to be comfortable with how firefighters look when they enter a burning building. So Krol put his gear on for the students, explaining each layer that went on.

At the end of each presentation, the students eagerly asked questions like what does one do in the event there is an air conditioner in a window and they can't get out -- "You can generally open the window and push the air conditioner out," said Hoffman.